


These Restless Hours

by Melacka



Category: Persuasion - Jane Austen
Genre: Courtship, F/M, Hand Kisses, Longing, Propriety, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:59:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29041269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melacka/pseuds/Melacka
Summary: Anne and Frederick have come to an understanding, but they have not shared their happy news with their friends and family. Anne is surprised to discover that propriety at social gatherings can be something of an inconvenience when one is desperately in love.
Relationships: Anne Elliot/Frederick Wentworth
Comments: 8
Kudos: 68
Collections: Bulletproof 20/21





	These Restless Hours

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rosepetalfall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosepetalfall/gifts).



Anne was in a state of some anxiety. She could not contrive of any way to extract herself from her present company. The real difficulty, of course, was that she did not want to separate herself from _all_ of her present company. There was one person that she desperately wanted to spend the morning with. Unfortunately for her, however, there was no polite way to achieve her aims. She stirred her tea thoughtfully and allowed her gaze to travel around the room. She had been attempting to view Captain Wentworth without appearing to do so, but there was something about the smile on his face that told her that she had been unsuccessful. Stifling an impatient sigh, she drew her cup and saucer closer and glanced around at her companions, seemingly perfectly comfortable with their current situation. Her eyes rested briefly on him and she found him to once again be directing a pointed smile in her direction. How could it be possible that no one else had noticed his blatant attentions to her?

Resolved to deflect any such unwanted attention, Anne was determined not to look at him again. Perhaps if she could feign interest in her surroundings, he would stop looking so very _amused_. She certainly had no interest in any of the conversations that ebbed and flowed around her, but the room may hold some amusement or distraction for her somewhere.

Despite her very best intentions, barely a minute had passed before her eyes were irresistibly drawn in his direction and he raised an eyebrow in enquiry. Blushing, she lowered her eyes to her tea and took a cautious sip, knowing before she did so that it was far too hot to be safely consumed. Her cup rattled in its saucer as she quickly replaced it, biting her lip against the pain in her mouth.

_Oh lord, when will this end?_ she thought despairingly. _When will I be free to act as I feel I must?_

Her father seemed to be in fine form, enjoying the novelty of a well-presented young man seeming to be prepared to pay him rapt attention. And Elizabeth seemed to be seeking even more of his attention than he was currently prepared to bestow, never mind her long-forgotten disapproval of his _attentions_.

Anne sighed and reminded herself that this situation was nothing more than temporary. There would come a time, very soon, where she would not have to maintain this absurd distance from him. A time where she could sit as close as she wished and whisper secrets and share private jokes and perhaps even press kisses—

“Anne!” Mary cried suddenly, sounding terribly upset. “Are you listening to me at all?”

“Of course, Mary,” Anne soothed, turning her attention more fully to her sister. “Please go on.”

“Well, as I was saying—” Mary began huffily.

Anne smiled and nodded as she spoke but once it became clear that Mary did not, in fact, require her full attention, she allowed her mind to wander once more.

Captain Wentworth was doing his very best to maintain polite conversation with her father and Elizabeth. Anne knew that he did not care overmuch for them _or_ their conversation, which made her doubly grateful for the courtesy and attention that he chose to bestow on them both. They could not know the reason, of course. They would no doubt ascribe it to their own merits. As if Captain Wentworth would ever be in awe of a pair such as that. Captain Wentworth would never be fooled by such superficiality.

Captain Frederick Wentworth.

Frederick.

_Her_ Frederick.

Before too long, he would be her husband and they need never be parted again. At least, not for any significant length of time. For she was sure that having spent far too many years in lonely isolation and despair, neither of them would willingly undertake such a burden again.

“Anne!”

Elizabeth’s voice broke into her thoughts and Anne looked at her sister guiltily.

“Yes, Elizabeth?”

“Captain Wentworth has expressed a desire to hear you play.”

Elizabeth gestured at the pianoforte on the far side of the room, her tone suggesting that she did not think much of his taste. Anne’s eyes flew to Frederick’s and saw that they were sparkling with mischief.

“Would you oblige me, Miss Elliot?” he said calmly, though a smile tugged irrepressibly at his lips. “I find that I have a particular desire for music today.”

Anne agreed without a word, carefully placing her cup and saucer back on the table in front of her. When she stood, she was surprised to see Frederick stand as well. Elizabeth and her father had already resumed their own private conversation, but Mary was beginning to look awfully offended at the interruption to her conversation.

“Please excuse me, Mary. I am sure some music will do you some good, as well.”

“May I escort you?” Frederick said, holding his arm up.

“Of course,” she agreed politely, placing her hand safely in the crook of his arm and squeezing softly.

As they wandered away, arm in arm, Anne looked up to see that he was barely suppressing a laugh.

“Thank you, Captain,” she murmured quietly as they approached the pianoforte, “for your escort. I fear I may have lost my way if you had not been there to guide me.”

“It was my pleasure, Miss Elliot,” he said, loudly enough for the room to overhear. He lowered his voice as he continued, “I look forward to leading you to wherever you may wish to go in future.”

Anne sat slowly in her seat and met his eyes, her hand clasped in his.

“I would follow you anywhere, Frederick,” she whispered.

He offered her a brilliant smile and then bent over her hand, pressing a lingering kiss against her skin. He held her gaze for a moment longer than was strictly appropriate and then released her. Anne began to play as Frederick resumed his seat amongst her family.

_Soon_ , she promised herself. _Soon_.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to anyone who reads/leaves kudos/comments!


End file.
